West Bromwich Albion have decided that Lee Johnson is their top target to become the new manager at The Hawthorns, according to a reliable football journalist.

Alan Nixon is reporting on Twitter that Bristol City manager Johnson is the man that West Brom have lined up to replace Alan Pardew as their permanent boss.

West Brom are still in with a slim chance of staying up in the Premier League after yet another extraordinary result for the Baggies under caretaker Darren Moore.

Since Moore stepped in on an interim basis, West Brom have shown a remarkable upturn in form and the greatest of all escapes is still a narrow possibility.

Moore has overseen victories against Manchester United, Newcastle United and now Tottenham Hotspur - thanks to Jake Livermore's injury time winner - as well as a draw against Liverpool after they were 2-0 down.

But Nixon has confirmed that Moore is unlikely to get the job on a permanent basis, despite the former Baggies defender establishing himself as a fans' favourite and showing his tactical nous.

Johnson has been lined up instead.

The 36-year-old has led Bristol City to the semi-finals of the League Cup and had his side competing for promotion for most of the year too, although they have now slipped to a mid-table finish.

The Verdict

In my personal opinion, I think that Moore should be handed the job as a reward for the excellent work he has done at the club. It would have been interesting to see if he could have kept them afloat with more time at the helm but their survival still looks very unlikely. Bristol City manager Johnson is a young and promising boss but he still has a lot to learn.

Bristol City fans - Can you keep Johnson? Let us know below...